Railway-crossing signal



Aug. 5, w24@ 1,593,930

J. A. WEST RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL Aug. 5 1924. www@ J. A; WEST RAILWAYQROSSING SIGNAL Filed Nov. 21 1923 2 sbeewheez 2 A.. `u 7 Y v @jpc/dj' /0 AVAV/w/w/ v" i A l Patented Aug. 5,

" tra stares JAMES A. WEST, OF lli/"INTER HAVEN, FLORIDA.

RAILWAY-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Application filed. November 21, 1923.

To @ZZ- w/zof'ni t may concern.'

Be it known that l, latins A. lvvnsr, a citizen of the United States, residing at llVinter Haven, in the county of Polk and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway- Crossing Signals, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in railway crossing signals, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a signalV which will effectively serve its purpose during both day-and night.

Another object of the invention is to generally simplify and improve devices of the above kind whereby the same may meet with all of the requirements for a successful commercial use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide mechanical signalling means for railway crossings which may be cheaply and easily erected and maintained in effective operating condition with the requirement of little attention or repair.

A. still further object of the invention is to provide a railway crossing of the above kind embodying a normally inoperative signal element associated with means for facilitating setting the same to operative position from a train approaching the crossing in either direction7 and means automatically operable to illuminate the danger signal when the same is set to signalling or operative position.

Another object is to provide means wher by the illuminating means is rendered inoperative when the danger signal is in its inoperative position or moved from its operative position.

Other objects will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the'same consists in the novel form, conibination, and arrangement' of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

ln the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan view illustrating a crossing signal installed in accordance with the present inventio-n.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in vertical section and partly in elevation,

Serial No. 676,097.

showing details of the construction shown in Figure l, and drawn on a larger scale.

Figure `3 is a fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevation to illustrate details of the signal operating means.

Figureit is a view similar to Figure 3 showing further details of said signal operating means.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of o-ne end portion of one of the signal operating shafts, and f Figure 6 is a. view similar to Figure 5 ofthe upper end of said shaft.

Figure 7 is ai detail sectional view of the means for illuminating the signal.

Vleiierring more in detail to the drawings, 5 and 6 respectively indicate the railway tracks and roads` which intersect or cross each other and suitably mounted at each side of the road 6 and at opposite sides of the track 5 are posts 7 that are preferably.' hollow or of open frame construction as shown clearly in Figure 2.

Arranged centrally of and about the crossing is a supporting plate 8 that is preferably of segmental spherical form as shown for the purpose of readily shedding rain and the like therefrom, and the plate 8 is rigidly supported in position by means of radial rods, cables or the like, as indicated at 9, the outer ends of which are suitably attached to the upper ends of the posts 7, and the inner ends of which are fastened to the margin of the plate 8.

The plate 8 is provided with a central bearing l0, in which is received and journalled the upper end of a vertical shaft 1l, upon the lower end of which is fixed a visual danger signal element l2, preferably in the form of a. vertical `plate having the word Stop printed upon opposite faces thereof as indicated at 13. Fixed upon the shaft ll between the danger signal element l2 and the plate 8 is a pulley llt, provided with two parallel peripheral grooves for a purpose which will presently become apparent.

Suitably journalled beneath and extending across the railway track at opposite sides of and at some distance from the cross roads 6 are similar horizontal shafts l5, each of which has one end thereof provided with a depending rigid arm 16 and the other end thereof provided with a rigid upwardly directed arm 17, said shafts being arranged so that the depending arm of one shaft is arranged at one side of the track, while the upwardly extending arm of the other` shaft from'their respective shafts in upwardly diverging or angular relation to each other with respect to the arms of each pair, and one arm of each pair is arranged at one side of each track, while the remaining arm of each pair is arranged at the opposite side thereof between the rails of the track and the outer arms 16 and 17 of said shaft 15.

'Attached to the depending arni 16 of one shaft 15 is a iexible member or cable 19 that is extended to and connected to the upwardly extending arm of the other shaft that is arranged at the same side of the crossing. ln a like manner, the upwardly extending arm 17 of the first named shaft is connected with the depending' arm of the second named shaft at the other side of the trac-k by means of a flexible member or cable 2() and interposed between the cables 19 and 2O and the arms 16 and 17 are elastic members 21 of such form as to allow this operating mechanism to yield under conditions when the same is necessary for preventing breakage of parts while at the same time insuring movement ot the cables 19 and 20 when the arms 16 and 17 exert a pull thereon. Y

The cable 19 extends from one shaft to lthe lower end of the nearest post 7 at the same side of the track where it passes under and partially around a lguide pulley 22 suitably journalled at the lower end of said post, after which the cable extends upwardly through said post 7 and over another guide pulley 23 suitably joui-nailed in the upper end of the post. The cable 19 then extends inwardly and partially around the pulley 14 in one of the grooves ofthe latter, and then outwardly and around a similar guide pulley 23 provided on the remaining post 7 at the'same side of theV track. From the last named pulley, the cable 19 extends downwardly through the last named post to a lower guide pulley therein similar to the guide pulley 22 and then to the other shaft 15 where it attaches to the latter at the same side of the track.

The flexible member or cable 2O passes from the other end of the first named shaftat the other side of the track around similar pulleys 22 and 23 of the adjacent post at the same side of the track and then inwardly partially around the pulley 141 in the other groove of the latter, from which said cable 2() extends outwardly to the pulleys -22 and 23 of the remaining posts and then through the remaining end of the other shaft 15.

Suitably fixed to diagonally opposite ones of the post 7 are self contained electric lamps 24 so formed and disposed as to throw light upon the opposed Vfaces of the signal element 12 when the latter is operatively positioned transversely of and above the crossing as indieatedpbj dotted lines in Figure 1. The battery terminals of the eleotric lamps 24 may be bridged in any suitable manner upon movement of the cables 19 and 2O in swinging the signal elements 12 to operative position so that the lamps 24 will only be lighted when the signal is set in danger position. An example in which this maybe carried out is sho-wn in Figure 2 wherein the terminals 25 of the battery of the lamp 24 projects inwardly of the post in which said lamps are attached in the path of a bridging element 26 carried by the respective cables.4 o

1n operation, the trains will bep-provided with trip rods capable of being lowered by the engineer into the pathof the arms 18 at one side of the track when the train is moving in one direction and into the path of the arms 18 at the otherside of the track when moving in the opposite direct-ion, Upon approaching the cross road 6, the trip rod will engage the arm 18 of the shaft `15 at the side of the cross road from whichthetrain is crossing so as to cause a pull to be exerted upon the cables for swinging the signalling element 12 from its normal position wherein the same is arranged to face the approaching train to the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, wherein vthe same is brought to a position for facing approaching traffic at opposite sides of the track and upon the cross roads 6. Assuming that the train is approaching from the right of Figure 1, the trip on the train will strike the arm 18 of the right hand shaft 15 at the upper side of the track as viewed in said ligure, thus causing the depending arm 16 Y of this shaft at this side of the track to swing in a direction away from the road 6 for exerting a pull upon the cable 19, so as to cause rotation of the signal plate 12 from the full line position to the dotted line position in the direction of the arrow a. When this is done the cable 19 will move upwardly in the post 7 at the upper 'side of the track and at the left hand side of the road 6 for causing the bridging element 26 at this point to bridge the contacts'25 of the Vlamp 24 in the lastrnamed post, thus causing arm 17 of said left hand shaft 15, which pull resultsin swinging of the depending arm of the left hand shaft 15 away from the cross road 6 so as to cause the portion of the cable 2O within the right hand lower post 7 to move upwardly for similarly lighting the lamp 24 of said right hand lower post. I/Vhen this takes place, both faces of the signal plate are illuminated, and the arm 18 of the left hand shaft 15 is moved to a position to be engaged by the train trip after the train passes the crossing` for returning the parts to their normal full line position as shown in Figure 1. Obviously, the same operation will be accomplished by manipulation of a trip rod carried by a train approaching the cross road on the left of Figure 1.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a railway crossing signal, a vertical signal plate, means mounting said signal plate above the crossing for rotation upon a vertical axis, means for facilitating rotation of said signal plate by actuation. of the same from a train approaching the crossing at a point remote from the latter, said signal plate normally occupying a position parallel with the cross roads of the crossing and being movable to a position parallel with the railway track to indicate the approach of a train, and means to automatically illuminate said signal plate upon movement of the same to its train approach indicating position.

2. In a railway crossing signal, four posts mounted at opposite sides of a cross road at opposite sides of the railway track intersecting the same, a plate disposed above the crossing, means connected to said post for rigidly supporting the plate, a vertical shaft journalled in said plate and having a vertical signal element fixed upon the lower ends thereof and provided with signalling indicia, said signalling element being adapted to normally assume an inoperative position parallel with the cross roads and being adapted to move to a signalling posi* tion parallel with the railway track, train trip operated means for swinging said signalling elements from its inoperative to its operative position from a train approaching the cross road at either side of the latter, and means operable by the passing train to return the signal element to its normal inoperative position.

3. In a railway crossing signal, four posts mounted at opposite sides of a cross road at opposite sides of the railway tracks intersecting the same, a plate disposed above the crossing, means connected to said post for rigidly supporting the plate, a vertical shaft journalled in said plate and having a vertical signal element fixed upon the lower ends thereof and provided with signalling indicia, said signalling element being adapted to normally assume an inoperative position parallel with the cross road and being adapted to move to a signalling position parallel with the railway tracks, train `trip operated means for swinging said signalling elements from its inoperative to its operative position from a. train approaching the cross road at either side of the latter, means operable by the passing train to return the signal element to its normal inoperative position, and means carried by the post and associated with the signal element operating means for automatically illuminating the signal element when the latter is swung to operative position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES A. IVEST. 

